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by Kate Barancik
Summary: After hearing about Jack’s eulogy, Daniel is determined to find out what he said. Daniel’s POV.


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Summary: After hearing about Jack's eulogy, Daniel is determined to find out what he said. Daniel's POV.

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: Jack/Daniel, pre-slash

Episode Spoiler: Fire and Water

Warnings: Language, pre-slash

Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate SG-1. sad

I stared at Jack's back as he dialed home. No way was he going to get away with this. He actually said something nice about me? Several nice things about me? Not Jack O'Neill, surely. Sam has to be mistaken. The nicest thing Jack ever said about me is that I "look less nerdy without the glasses." The gate opened and still Jack didn't look at me, Sam on the other hand kept smiling at me and touching me like she was trying to make sure I was real.

As I came through the other side of the Stargate, back into the SGC, I heard a thunderous applause. Almost the entire population of Cheyenne Mountain was there, clapping. I gasped like a fish out of water, and soaked like one, too. I walked down the ramp in a haze as Janet wrapped me a in a quick hug and told me how glad she was to see me alive. General Hammond clung to my hand as he shook it, squeezing it so hard I thought I lost feeling in my left side for a second.

Everyone was excited to see me, which threw me off at first as it had never happened before. I dared a glance at Jack. He was standing outside the mob and I caught his eye even through the press of people congratulating me on not being dead. There was something in them, something I had seen when I walked up to the beach. While we stood there I felt something, like a spark shooting through every vein in my body. Jack made some lame joke about sushi but I still couldn't help but smile. Because he had that look in his eyes, I'm not entirely sure but I think I know what it was.

Looking at them now, I'm sure of what it is. He missed me. So naturally, he's glad to have me back. But there's more than that in his look. He loves me. The wind falls out of my lungs and there's suddenly this pain in my chest. The kind of pain that's a good pain. It spread through my chest and filled my lungs and my heart began to beat faster. I wanted so much in that moment to walk to him, to wrap my arms around him and just breathe him in.

But the moment passed and Jack made a subtle exit from the embarkation room. I attempted to follow him but found myself under the questioning gaze of the entire SGC. General Hammond shooed away the buzzing crowd, I knew there was a reason I liked him.

"Take some time, Dr. Jackson," Hammond said. Thank goodness. "I expect a short briefing in an hour."

Maybe not.

Sam and Teal'c followed me to the locker room where I knew Jack would be. Sure enough he was there, already in his civvies and tying the laces on his shoes.

"Dinner, my treat," he said, looking up as we entered the room. "We should take advantage at Hammond's happy demeanor to get Teal'c out with us."

"Jack, I have to give Hammond a briefing," I said, taking a towel out of my locker. Thank the gods I have extra cloths to wear. Jack doesn't look at me, just at either Teal'c or Sam, but not me.

"Alright, we'll wait for ya in your office," Jack replied, thumping me on the shoulder and making a rather quick exit. Teal'c and Sam follow suit as several of the SGC personnel, to my surprise Janet was among them, came into the locker room.

"Hey, Daniel," Janet said, smiling. "After you've finished, you should really come to see me."

She was worried. I knew it by her voice. I mean, of course she was, I was dead for crying out loud. Oh, God. I didn't just say that, did I? I've been spending way too much time with Jack.

"Wait, Janet!" I said louder then I meant to as she turned to leave the locker room. I looked around at everyone else, most of whom were looking back at me.

"Yes?" she asked. I could tell her anything, I knew that. Anything medical, anyway. But I did want to tell her something, I wanted to find something out. I stepped closer to her, not particularly wanting everyone to hear us.

"Um…what exactly did Jack say?" I asked. I was ringing the dry towel in my hands. Nervous habit I didn't even know I had.

"Say?" she seemed to think about it for a moment. "Well, he was quite upset of course."

He was?

"He was?" I asked. I could feel my mouth slacken. He cared. I knew it! "The eulogy. What did he say?"

"Oh, it was very nice," I could tell that she was going to give me a rundown when I was suddenly grabbed from behind by several of the guys in the locker room. Vaguely I heard her say that she had to go.

I would have chased after her had a bunch of huge flyboys blocked my path. They clapped me on my shoulders and congratulated me on not being dead. Maybe they'll know? Someone here has to know. So, I pull the closest person, a women who I think I may have seen at some point in some place in the mountain.

"How was the funeral?" I asked her. Obviously, she thought I was joking and laughed. She threw her arms around me in a hug and I can't be sure, but I think in the jostle of people she took the opportunity to grab my ass.

Okay, obviously not the right way to get information. I pushed my way out of the crowd, determined to go to Janet and ask her again. This was unexpectedly difficult to do. The moment I stepped out into the hallway, there were cheers and people smiling. One of them even thanked me because they all got a day off to "mourn my passing".

Yeah, that's sort of weird.

But, I continue on down the hall toward the general direction of the infirmary. I realized I should just ask Jack. I mentally kick myself when I realize that he would never in good consciousness actually tell me.

Janet's already got a bed ready for me along with all her instruments. I'm praying that I don't have to have a complete physical, it'll be painful enough to give a report to General Hammond when the whole time I want to know what Jack said. Hey, maybe Hammond will know.

Janet was already here, though. She smiled at me and as I opened my mouth to ask her, the incoming traveler alarm went off and covered what I was about to say. Janet looked at me, concern in her eyes and fled from the room. Crap! Hammond will be heading that way, too, so I can't ask him.

If this is a plot of Jack's to not let me find out what he said, it's working. Wait. How could I be so dense? Teal'c! He'll know and he won't have any reason not to tell me. So, I race out the door to find him. More then likely he might have been taken by the sounds of the alarm and went into the embarkation room.

Or he could still be in my office with Sam and Jack. Sam's fine, but once Jack says that he doesn't want me to know, she would never tell me. And Teal'c probably wouldn't either. So, here's hoping he went to see what all the fuss was about.

--

I should never be surprised at this place. SG-4 came through the Stargate after a mission to some desolate world that had no sign of life. They left earlier in the day, before everyone's revelation that I wasn't dead.

Apparently, an hour after they arrived, they were crowned gods by the local people. Okay, so that's normal. The only thing is that the local people were like chameleons, they blended in with all their surroundings. When they found out their new gods could not do the same, they became angry.

So now SG-4 is in the infirmary, covered in goo that nobody can tell where it is because it also blends with its surroundings. There was only one way to corner them, the whole team had to strip. Needless to say, I saw more nipples then I had ever seen before. SG-4 was not amused.

But that wasn't what I cared about, I needed to find something. Now Janet was busy and Hammond was spreading his wings of authority while trying not to laugh at his naked team. So, he was busy too. Sam was in her lab with her fellow scientists trying to think of a way to "defeat the goo."

This lead me with only Teal'c to talk to. He had indeed come to see what the commotion was, without Jack. Now he stood in the hallway outside the infirmary with the rest of us, trying to see the members (pardon the pun) of SG-4.

"Teal'c," I said, meeting him at the back of the group.

"This is quite entertaining, DanielJackson," he said, eyes flicking toward the infirmary. "Today has been a very good day."

"Yes, it has," I said. "But, I need to ask you something."

"Of course, DanielJackson," Teal'c replied, moving away from the group. For being an alien he sure can read a situation well. "How may I assist you?"

"I need to know what Jack said," I suddenly felt guilty, like I shouldn't be asking this. Teal'c raised an eyebrow, but otherwise his face was placid.

"I am not entirely sure O'Neil wishes to share this information," Teal'c said. Damn, too late. Jack must have already told him not to tell me. Which only means one thing, it must be good.

Teal'c took his leave and went back to the infirmary doorway where everyone moved aside from him to get a front row peak. It felt like a slap in the face. Now I have to know what Jack said.

Hammond is storming in, though the smile on his face betrays him. As he passes past me he says to forget the briefing until tomorrow and then I can give him the full rundown. I nod as those by the door make a clear path and salute their general.

Well, the old saying goes, desperate times call for desperate measures. Janet's busy with patients, Sam's in the lab working for some kind of cure, Teal'c and Jack won't breath a word, Hammond's trying to get the gawking crowd to go about their business, the crowd is busy gawking, and SG-4 is busy being naked. Who does that leave?

The control team. Why didn't I think of that before. Walter Davis will know, he was there. So, I run off to the control room. Everyone I pass by give me an appreciative look that I know will be gone the next time I screw up on something.

"Danny!" I hear my name called by a very familiar voice. I stop dead in my tracks and look back to see Jack, his head peeking out into the hallway from my office door. "What's goin' on?"

"Uh…" I can't think for a minute. He's looking at me. Not watching me, but looking, really looking. "SG-4 are naked in the infirmary."

His eyebrow goes so far up I wonder if he's been spending too much time with Teal'c. Though, he doesn't ask, just looks at me. Up and down. He motions for me to follow him into my office.

There's a nervousness about him that I've seen only a handful of times before. He paces nervously as I lean against my desk. Maybe I should just ask him what he said and put him out of his misery. But he's thinking. I can tell. He gets quiet when he thinks, especially when he contemplates. Finally, he reaches behind him and closes the door and looks at me.

He takes a deep breath and opens his mouth to say something, only managing a weak, "I…" and then stops.

"What did you say?" I ask him. For a moment he stares like I've grown two heads. Takes me half a second to realize that I should really start being more specific. "For the eulogy."

His brown eyes grow wide and his pupils dilate. For a moment Jack just stands there, staring at my feet. My heart jumps as he looks right into my eyes, direct contact. Before I can put myself back together, Jack is standing less then a foot away from me. He looks past my shoulder for a second and then places one hand on each of my biceps, pushing me a little to the right.

My mind can't process why because the next thing I know those arms are around me. One snaked it's way behind my head until Jack's right hand is on my left shoulder. The other arm is low on my back, hand on my hip.

And I know what it is he said, because he says it now, without actually uttering a word. I can feel his heart pounding out of his chest, thumping against mine. I can feel his breath against the side of my face. And it's like lightening just struck me.

He missed me.

More than missed me. He cares.

Shit.

I put my arms around him so hard and fast I hear a gasp of air forced out of his lungs. But than I realize why he moved me over, this was the only spot in my office the cameras couldn't see. And whatever had surged through me died. But I still stayed there, encased in Jack's hug. Because I needed this. I wanted the contact. I wanted Jack to have missed me, to care for me. But he didn't. At least not enough to just hug me, be damned with everyone else.

"I'm sorry, Daniel," Jack whispered in my ear. Whether he could read my mind or if he was apologizing for something else, I couldn't tell. I didn't care. His arms drooped and he stepped away from me. "Hungry?"

"Yeah, a little," I replied, trying to push away whatever it was that had burned its way through my chest. But I could have sworn while he held me that I could feel his heart beat in the exact rhythm as mine. And when he smiled, there was something different, something changed.

And if I didn't know any better I could have sworn it was love.

TBC…

A/N: So, I've decided to make this a whole story arc. The next part I hope is kinda obvious from the last little bit of the story. Eventually the arc will lead to AU, but not for a little bit.


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